Sunday 27th June 2010
I flew to Johannesburg on Saturday 26th June 2010. I awoke to a chilly Johannesburg morning contemplating how to get to Soccer City for the Argentina Mexico game scheduled for tonight. I had attended the Netherlands Denmark game earlier in the tournament. I had used the park and walk facility at Nasrec show grounds. On that occasion the walk to the stadium took approximately forty minutes. The dust from the surrounding sandy areas was not very pleasant, more so in the icy cold temperatures that had beset Johannesburg.
I decided on good advice to use the train service today. I watched most of the afternoon game and set off for Soccer City at approximately half past six. I travelled with a group. We parked a hotel complex in the vicinity of the old Park Station in downtown Johannesburg. This area, I presume would have been the thriving centre of Johannesburg in days gone by. The University of the Witwatersrand and the new Constitutional Court is just a stone throw’s away. The city of Johannesburg is attempting to revive this area as part of their inner city district improvement plans.
The Park Station is rather dilapidated. The building still has a semblance of the grand structure that it was previously. I can imagine what it would have looked like in the bustling sixties and seventies of Johannesburg life. This train station is due for a complete refurbishment once the Gautrain station becomes part of this complex. I boarded the train for Soccer City together with thousands of other fans. The train travelled slowly to its destination at the new Nasrec station. In every public transport utility that I have used recently, I have encountered a group of noisy fans who wish to be heard above everyone else. This together with a group of vuvuzela blowing fans, made the trip more entertaining. I am glad that I used the Metro rail service as the walk from the station to the stadium is very minimal. I got into the stadium well in advance of the commencement of the game.
Although I had purchased category 1 tickets, I had a seat up near the rafters of the stadium. This was a bad deal on FIFA’s part. The higher seats at Soccer City are rather daunting if one is wary of heights or even if one is not. The steep slope of the seating arrangements keeps one pinned firmly to one’s seat. I was rather wary of toppling over backwards in excitement or if pushed by someone from that seating height. It was also rather colder at this height. The atmosphere and excitement surrounding this game went a long way in alleviating these negative thoughts.
Just prior to the singing of the national anthems, one side of the ground was awash with toilet rolls that were strewn onto the pitch by the fans. That side of the pitch resembled the River Plate stadium in Argentina. Needless to say that the officials set about removing the strewn paper from the pitch and needless to say that the fans threw more paper onto the pitch. The game had to be stopped once. The Argentinean goal keeper had the unenviable task of collecting the strewn rolls of paper from the pitch before the referee allowed the game to continue. The goal keeper on the other end had his fair share of rubbish collection that night as well.
I left my seat at half time and mingled with the crowds in the Soccer City’s lobby areas. Many fans came adorned in their national colours and some in specially prepared costumes. The Mexicans in particular have graced this tournament with their vividly coloured and stunning costumes. The photo opportunities were endless.
Argentina won this round 16 game and thereby ended Mexico’s participation in the tournament. In the earlier game today, Germany had defeated England in a most empathic manner and announced their calibre ahead of the remaining games of the tournament. Well, it is Brazil against Chile at the Ellis Park stadium that awaits me tomorrow.
I decided on good advice to use the train service today. I watched most of the afternoon game and set off for Soccer City at approximately half past six. I travelled with a group. We parked a hotel complex in the vicinity of the old Park Station in downtown Johannesburg. This area, I presume would have been the thriving centre of Johannesburg in days gone by. The University of the Witwatersrand and the new Constitutional Court is just a stone throw’s away. The city of Johannesburg is attempting to revive this area as part of their inner city district improvement plans.
The Park Station is rather dilapidated. The building still has a semblance of the grand structure that it was previously. I can imagine what it would have looked like in the bustling sixties and seventies of Johannesburg life. This train station is due for a complete refurbishment once the Gautrain station becomes part of this complex. I boarded the train for Soccer City together with thousands of other fans. The train travelled slowly to its destination at the new Nasrec station. In every public transport utility that I have used recently, I have encountered a group of noisy fans who wish to be heard above everyone else. This together with a group of vuvuzela blowing fans, made the trip more entertaining. I am glad that I used the Metro rail service as the walk from the station to the stadium is very minimal. I got into the stadium well in advance of the commencement of the game.
Although I had purchased category 1 tickets, I had a seat up near the rafters of the stadium. This was a bad deal on FIFA’s part. The higher seats at Soccer City are rather daunting if one is wary of heights or even if one is not. The steep slope of the seating arrangements keeps one pinned firmly to one’s seat. I was rather wary of toppling over backwards in excitement or if pushed by someone from that seating height. It was also rather colder at this height. The atmosphere and excitement surrounding this game went a long way in alleviating these negative thoughts.
Just prior to the singing of the national anthems, one side of the ground was awash with toilet rolls that were strewn onto the pitch by the fans. That side of the pitch resembled the River Plate stadium in Argentina. Needless to say that the officials set about removing the strewn paper from the pitch and needless to say that the fans threw more paper onto the pitch. The game had to be stopped once. The Argentinean goal keeper had the unenviable task of collecting the strewn rolls of paper from the pitch before the referee allowed the game to continue. The goal keeper on the other end had his fair share of rubbish collection that night as well.
I left my seat at half time and mingled with the crowds in the Soccer City’s lobby areas. Many fans came adorned in their national colours and some in specially prepared costumes. The Mexicans in particular have graced this tournament with their vividly coloured and stunning costumes. The photo opportunities were endless.
Argentina won this round 16 game and thereby ended Mexico’s participation in the tournament. In the earlier game today, Germany had defeated England in a most empathic manner and announced their calibre ahead of the remaining games of the tournament. Well, it is Brazil against Chile at the Ellis Park stadium that awaits me tomorrow.
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